National Gazetteer (1868) - Kirk Newton

"KIRK NEWTON, a parish in the ward of West Glendale, county Northumberland, 5 miles W. of Wooler. This parish, which-is very extensive, comprising near 38,000 acres, includes the townships of Akeld, Coldsmouth-with-Thompson's Walls, Coupland, Crockhouse, Gray's Forest, Heathpool, Howtell, Kilham, Kirk Newton, Lanton, Milfield, West Newton, Paston, Selbys Forest, and Geavering. It is situated on the river Glen, in the N. division of the county; and is bounded on the N. by the parish of Ford, on the S. by Coquetdale ward, on the E. by Wooler, and on the W. by Scotland. The surface is varied by mountain and dale, including the valley of the Glen, and the mountainous region of the Cheviots, part of which range, at the Cheviot, in this parish, attains an altitude of 3,600 feet. The land is sparsely inhabited. The principal villages or hamlets are Kirk Newton; Kilham, on the N. side of the Kilham hills; Akeld, on the old read from Newcastle to Glasgow; Milfield, where the famous battle of Homildon Hill was fought on Holyrood Day, in 1402, and near which place Sir William Bulmer defeated a large body of Scots before the battle of Flodden Field. The other hamlets are West Newton and Paston. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agricultural pursuits, and in the breeding of cattle and sheep, for which last the Cheviot and Kilham hills afford excellent pasture. The soil is generally of a light character, and the chief crops wheat, barley, and turnips. The principal landowners are the Earl of Tankerville, Lord Grey, Sir F. Blake, Bart., Sir W. Davidson, and G. A. Grey, Esq., and several minor proprietors. The Earl of Durham occasionally resides at Copeland Castle. The Earl of Tankerville is lord of the manor. Milfield Hill, the residence of G. A. Grey, Esq., is a handsome mansion, commanding extensive views. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £631. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Durham, value £490. The church, dedicated to St. Gregory, having become very dilapidated, it was resolved in 1858 to erect a new one. The old church was a very venerable structure, with a small bell turret, and had been, at some ancient period, of larger dimensions. It contained a rudely carved stone of great antiquity, representing the Adoration of the Magi. The Presbyterians and Independents have each a place of worship, and the Primitive Methodists have a spacious chapel at Milfield, erected in 1856. At the village of Kirk Newton are National, Sunday, and denominational schools. On the N. bank of the Glen, in the township of Lanton, is an obelisk, called Lanton Tower, erected by Sir W. Davidson, who owns the whole of the soil in this township. In the township of Milfield, and in other parts of the parish, Roman and British remains have been found; and on the hills in the township of Paston are traces of ancient encampments, and extensive earthworks, with fosses."

"AKELD, a township in the parish of Kirk-Newton, Glendale ward, in the county of Northumberland, 2 miles to the N.W. of Wooler. It is near the river Glen, and has traces of an ancient graveyard."

"CANNA MILL, a hamlet in the township of West Newton, and parish of Kirk Newton, ward of Glendale, in the county of Northumberland, 6 miles to the W. of Wooler."

"COPELAND, (or Coupland, Castle), a township in the parish of Kirk Newton, W. division of Glendale ward, in the county of Northumberland, 4 miles N.W. of Wooler. It is situated on the river Glen, and in the 14th century was the seat of John de Copeland, who took David II. of Scotland prisoner. It was rebuilt by the Wallaces at the commencement of the 17th century.

"COULDSMOUTH, a township in the parish of Kirk Newton, W. division of Glendale ward, in the county of Northumberland, 7 miles W. of Wooler, and 3 W. of the parish church."

"CROOKHOUSE, a township in the parish of Kirk-Newton, in the county of Northumberland, 3½ miles N.W. of Wooler."

"GREYS FOREST, a township in the parish of Kirk Newton, W. division of the ward of Glendale, county Northumberland, 5 miles N.W. of Wooler."

"HEATHPOOL, a township in the parish of Kirk-Newton, W. division of Glendale ward, county Northumberland, 5 miles W. of Wooler. It forms part of a mountainous district chiefly occupied by sheepwalks, and was the property of the late Lord Collingwood. Here are remains of an ancient border tower."

"HOWTELL, a township in the parish of Kirk-Newton, W. division of Glendale ward, county Northumberland, 6 miles N.W. of Wooler."

"KILHAM, a township in the parish of Kirk Newton, W. division of Glendale ward, county Northumberland, 7 miles N.W. of Wooler. The township is very extensive, including a range of hills of the same name, with the village of Kilham and the hamlet of Thornington. The village is situated at the N. side of the hills, and consists of only a few houses. The soil is light and subsoil gravelly. The Earl of Tankerville is lord of the manor and chief landowner."

"LANTON, a township in the parish of Kirk-Newton, W. division of Glendale ward, county Northumberland, 4½ miles N.W. of Wooler. It is situated on the N. bank of the river Glen. Lanton Tower stands on elevated ground, and can be seen many miles distant."

"MILFIELD, a township in the parish of Kirk-Newton, W. division of Glendale ward, county Northumberland, 3 miles from Ford, and 6 N.W. of Wooler. The village, which is small, is situated on the river Till, and is the Maelmain of Bede, where the Saxon kings of Bernicia had a seat. S. of the village is Milfield Plain, where Bulmer gained a victory over the Scots a few days before the battle of Flodden. The Primitive Methodists have a place of worship. Milfield Hall is the principal residence. Roman remains have been found at different periods, including an urn containing ashes and burnt bones, discovered in 1823 under an immense heap of stones."

"PASTON, a township in the parish of Kirk-Newton, W. division of Glendale ward, county Northumberland, 4 miles W. of Kirk-Newton, and 9 N.W. of Wooler. The township, which is of large extent, is situated on the river Beamont, and near the borders of Scotland. The village is small and wholly agricultural. The soil is light but fertile. Lord Elcho's hounds meet here. Haerlaw double-ditched camp is in this neighbourhood."

"SELBY'S FOREST, a township in the parish of Kirk Newton, W. division of Glendale ward, county Northumberland, 7 miles S.W. of Wooller. It is situated under the Cheviot, and is chiefly bare moorland On the summit of the Cheviot, from which the celebrated range of hills, so called, derives its name, is a large lake, occasionally frozen in the summer."

"THOMPSON'S WALLS, a township in the parish of Kirk-Newton, W. division of Glendale ward, county Northumberland, 8 miles N.W. of Wooler. It is joined with Couldsmouth to form a township."

"WEST NEWTON, a township in the parish of Kirk Newton, W. division of Glendale ward, county Northumberland, 6 miles N.W. of Wooler. It is situated on the river Glen, and it contains Canna-Mill. The Earl of Tankerville is lord of the manor.

"YEAVERING, a township in the parish of Kirk-Newton, county Northumberland, 5 miles N.W. of Wooler. It is situated on the river Glen, and contains Yeavering Bell, one of the Cheviot hills, rising more than 2,000 feet from the vale. Its summit, which is level and 1,000 yards in circuit, is encompassed by the remains of an ancient wall, eight yards in breadth, built on the verge of the hill, surrounding an inner wall defended by a ditch, and having in the centre a large cairn hollowed like a bowl. On other parts of the hill are several smaller circles, vestiges of a grove of oaks, and in the neighbourhood a cairn and a cluster of rocks, respectively called Tom Tallan's grave and crags, but supposed to be all of Druidical origin. It is frequently mentioned in the Saxon chronicles as Adgefrin, where Edwin of Northumbria, after his conversion to Christianity, had a palace, and where, in 626, Paulinus baptized his converts in the river Glen. Near the village is a column of stone, commemorating the victory gained in 1415 by the Earl of Westmoreland, with 440 men, over the Scottish army of 4,000, under Sir It. Umfraville."